Ten Years can Change a Man
by Profiler14
Summary: "He sat at his desk pondering these words that he was told and remembered that he thought he would not be like Gibbs was in ten years, but in fact he was." horrible title.


**DISCLAIMER : I LOVE NCIS, HOWEVER I DO NOT OWN IT. **

A lot has changed in ten years at NCIS most of the faces we loved have moved on to bigger and better things though some faces have stayed the same.

NCIS Director Anthony DiNozzo sat at his desk in his big office and the words that his late friend, Donald Mallard had said to him ten years ago echoed in his ears about his former fearless leader.** '"_Ten years ago Gibbs was a very different man". __"What was he meaner?" Tony replied. "Quite the opposite, he was a lot like you"'*_**

He sat at his desk pondering these words that he was told and remembered that he thought he would not be like Gibbs was in ten years, but in fact he was.

Tony hated being practically chained to his desk all day and all night long, so he made it a point to visit the bullpen every so often and to visit Abby every day. He told his secretary that he would be gone for a while and to call down to the bullpen if it was important. He strolled down to the bullpen where he had spent most of his life, and was searching for the MCRT's new team leader, one of his best friends: Timothy McGee, but only wandered down to a bullpen that the only habitant was a new probationary agent.

She was watching ZNN on the plasma and not really focusing on the case at hand.

"Agent Ryan why aren't you-" he quickly lost focus on what he was going to say when a young girl about 15 which chocolate brown curly hair and piercing green eyes was shown on the screen as a finalist for a junior peace keeping prize.

"_Fifteen year old Eliana David of Saskatchewan Canada, is now a finalist for the junior peace keeping prize for her work all across the country towards bullying" the woman reporter said._

At this, Tony slammed down the file he had and made his way towards the one place where his minds was always clear and that he got most of his thoughts together: the elevator. He waited slowly as the elevator descended and opened to the familiar music of Brain Matter.

"Abs" he said warning her to shut off the music. Only a few things have stayed the same in the last ten years, and that was Labby, who had remained at her post though she is still getting bombarded with excellent offers.

"Tony" she said gathering him in one of her world famous hugs. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, got anything on the case?"

"Nope, nothing new". Abby hated the fact that Tony was now a little bitter, but that didn't come without its reasons.

"Director?" Agent Elizabeth Ryan said carefully without getting the Director mad at her. Though he was the director and had to deal with a lot of politics, Tony was still very active in cases though he wasn't out in the field anymore.

"Yes Agent Ryan"

"Um…"

"Spit it out" he snapped which earned a head slap from Abby who did not appreciate Tony's anger and bitterness.

"Um… Agent McGee's phone rang and your secretary was looking for you to give you a message because she thought it was important and that you have it right away.

"What was the message?"

"Um… a young girl called wanting to speak with you"

"Where was the call from?" he asked hopefully.

"Canada, Sir"

"Number" and with that Agent Ryan quietly and quickly gave him the number which was scrawled on a scarp piece of paper and Tony went to use the phone in Abby's office.

"What's was that about?" Agent Ryan asked Abby as she just shrugged her shoulders in return.

"Hey Abs" Jimmy Palmer wandered in as Abby and Agent Ryan were watching Tony through the glass door.

"What's going on?" he asked standing next to them wondering why they were watching Tony through the window.

"No idea" responded Ryan.

"She called" Abby replied.

"Did you see the news?" Jimmy asked.

"Yes, I'm so proud of her" she squealed in delight.

. . . . . . . . . . . .ncis.

Tony quickly dialed the number which was on the paper that he held in his hand and hoped that the phone would be picked up.

"_Hello"_ a young girl's voice answered on the other end.

"Zafirah? It's daddy" he replied

"_Hi daddy"_ she replied in excitement.

"I'm glad you called, happy birthday sweetie, so how old are you today? You're five right?" he joked.

"_No! I'm eight"_ she said teasing her father. _"Did you see Elli on the news?"_

"I did, I'm very proud of her"

. . . . . . . . . . . .ncis.

"So how long had it been now?" Jimmy asked subtly

"Seven years" Abby replied

"Wow, I didn't realize it's been that long. You talk to her?"

"Every Tuesday and Friday, she's still my best friend"

"Why is the Director smiling" Agent Ryan interjected. "I didn't know he knew how…or that he had teeth"

"Tony used to love to smile, but he's changed"

"He used to be pleasant?" Agent Ryan asked Abby surprised.

"Yes!" she exclaimed "he was always smiling and joking, quoting movies and pulling pranks mostly on Tim"

"Do you think Firah will let him talk to her?" Jimmy interjected

"No, she won't want to" Abby responded with a slight frown.

"What are you guys talking about?" Ryan asked as Jimmy and Abby just stared at each other.

. . . . . . . . . . . .nics.

"_Guess what daddy"_

"What" he said with excitement in his voice.

"_Ima had a baby"_

"Really?" his voice and excitement dropping.

"_Yeah he's really cute and she said when I am older I can babysit him"_

"That's great Firah. Is Elli home?"

"_No she's not"_

"Okay would you tell her that I'm proud of her"

"_kay daddy" _

"Is your mommy home?" he said hopefully.

"_She said she's not home"_

"That's okay munchkin" Tony said defeated.

. . . . . . . . . . . .ncis.

"Almost 17 years ago tony and Ziva got married and had a baby" Abby said worried that she would get in trouble for telling the probie about Tony's past.

"Who's Ziva?"

"Ziva David was a liaison officer with the Israeli Mossad for NCIS, but she later became a citizen and a full-fledged agent"

"And like I said they had a baby, Eliana DiNozzo"

"Eliana?…the girl on ZNN?. He got really weird when she came on the news"

"Yeah, well they were such a cute family and they were going to have another baby" Abby continued.

"By that time Gibbs retired and Tony was promoted to team leader but only a few months before Zafirah was born he was promoted to NCIS Director"

"I'm guessing his wife didn't like that"

"You get a gold star captain obvious" Abby said.

"Well, Tony was working insane hours and Ziva understood that until he started missing everything".

"But he was working"

"We know that, and Ziva knew that too, but she was fed up with him missing everything regarding their daughters. She grew up with her father missing all of the events in her life and was pissed that he was doing the same thing, plus he changes with the job, he didn't have time to watch any movies and was less upbeat around the office and at home."

"Like what did he miss?"

"14 and a half out of fifteen dance recitals, Zafirah's first steps, first words and her birth"

"Oh" Agent Ryan said shocked.

"Tony is not a bad guy" Jimmy explained.

"The way you explained it sure makes him sound like one" Abby responded.

"So his daughters call once a year?"

"No, they video every Sunday but Zifirah calls every year on her birthday".

"What about the older one? Eliana?"

"They haven't talked in years; she doesn't forgive Tony for not being there"

"And what about Ziva?"

"She moved on, married Profiler who works from home and they just had a baby"

"WHAT" Jimmy screeched.

"You didn't know" Abby said surpirsided.

"Did it sound like I was in the know? Does Tony know?"

"By the looks of it he does now" Abby replied after seeing Tony's sullen expression.

. . . . . . . . . . . .ncis.

"_I have to go now daddy, I love you"_

"Okay bye munchkin, I love you too" he said and hung up.

Tony walked out of the office and into the Lab, gave Abby a kiss on the cheek and a sullen smile and proceeded to the elevator to go back to his office to continue the mountain of paperwork that was always and forever, remembering how happy he used to be with Ziva until everything changed.

**Starred * item comes from episode 3x03 Mind Games which I do not own.**

**Okay so concludes another Tiva oneshot but more of a Tony centric story I hoped you like it.**

**DFTBA**


End file.
